Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Despite the hopes of many of the victim’s friends and family, the court appearance by suspect Oakes did not produce any new information about where Stover’s remains might be located.

I noted a couple of interesting items in court proceedings in the case.

1) The ex-wife of the victim, and her father, have been ordered to undergo depositions in the case. The judge has made remarks suggesting that they may be unwilling to answer some questions under their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. There have been rumors locally that the ex-wife’s father ( Seattle entrepreneur) may have hired the suspect – Michiel Oakes – in some way that relates to the crime. No idea whether that means Oakes was hired to murder Stover, or to intimidate, deliver a message, etc.

2) Police found a .22 bullet lodged in a bullet-proof vest among Oakes possessions. It is unclear whether the vest belongs to Oakes, and how it relates, if at all, to the defense strategy his attorney’s are suggesting will be used at trial: self-defense.

Interesting tidbits, anyway, and with the trial scheduled for just over a month from now, we may learn more soon.

Sunshine on Discovery Bay

About the Author

I have been lucky enough in my career to have done almost anything that is done in a business. I've been with startups, Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized and small regional companies. My experience includes academic research, manufacturing management, production control, business unit management, as well as consulting for comapnies in a variety of business sectors to solve problems or improve performance. I live in a wonderful neighborhood in a great city. I've got two beautiful children, of which I am button-popping proud. Whomever said that being a father is like having your heart walking around outside your body got it right.